Card business system.



L. S. ANTISDEL.

CARD BUSINESS SYSTEM. APPLIOA'IION FILED DEG. 7,.1911.

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Wz'trzepsefl Inventor 120 d ,Qterle'n Antsdel LLOYD STERLING ANTISDEL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARD BUSINESS SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 7, 1911.

Patented Apr.2, 1912.

Serial No. 664,524.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD STERLING AN- TISDEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Business Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in card business systems, and has for its object the production of a system through the employment of which conditions in a business may be shown in the same way that a thermometer shows atmospheric conditions, or a steam gage, the conditions in a boiler.

A further object is the production of a system as'mentioned, which will beof'special advantage or benefit to a department head in that it will put him immediately in possession of information regarding his department showing why, when, and where he is making a success or failure, it being possible with this system in five minutes to get more minute and more thorough information regarding the running or conduct of a department than is possible with any other known method in a much longer period of time.

A still further object of the invention is the production of business system as men-- tioned which will be of simple construction and of high efficiency in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts, hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one (if the cards or record members which are included in my invention, Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and Fi 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of the cards or record members illustrating the manner in which the same are used.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises a pl urality of similar cards 1, said cards being preferably of rectangular form and formed of any suitable material, paper or cardboard being preferably used. The upper edge of each card 1 is graduated, as clearly shown, to indicate percentages, the percentages from zero to one hundred being indicated thereon. Immediately below the graduations are provided three spaces 2, 3

and 4 for the reception respectively of minimum, maximum, and key numbers, which are employed in the manner hereinafter set forth. Below these spaces 2, 3 and 4 is a ruled space where a record may be kept.

Slidably mounted upon the upper graduated edge of each of the cards 1 is an indicator' member 5, the lower end thereof being bifurcated in order to adapt the same to straddle or engage said edge of the card. The member 5 is formed preferably of spring metal, the lower engaging portions thereof being adapted to press against the respective sides of the card in order to maintain said member through friction in positions of adjustment upon the card, the arrangement being such that said member may be readily slid to any position of adjustment upon the card.

The apparatus set forth may be used in a number of instances in the conduction of a' business, the basic'idea, or method of employment in each instance being, however, unchanged.

In the following one application of the apparatus will be set forth, the application being to the purchasing department of a business. In this application there willbe a card used for each article purchased, the form of the record on the card being of course subject to variation in order to correspond with the nature of the business and the wishes of the purchasing agent. Upon each card will be recorded the purchases and requisitions of the particular article the record of which is being kept. For example, upon one card will be arranged the item of pencils, upon another card the item of bolts,

etc. A purchasing agent, as is known, is

required to maintain a supply of each article suflicient to supply demands, an over supply of goods being undesirable, since by so doing, too much money is tied up. The agent is required to ascertain the minimum munber orquantity of each article which he should carry, and he is supposed to see that his supply does not run below this mark. lie is also required to fix a certain maximum quantity to be carried of each article, and maintain the supply below this limit in order that too much money will not be tied ,the quantities-that will be recorded upon the card which is provided for the article pencil .in the spaces 2 and 3 respectively. The object now is to indicate by the member 5 the fluctuation in the supply of the article which is on hand by the position of the indicator upon the edge of the card or relative to the percentage marks provided at said edge. Theminimum quantity will be represented by the zero percentage mark or by the extreme left hand extremity of the edge, the

maximum quantity being indicated by one hundred per cent. at the opposite extremity of said edge. Thus the graduations will represent the difference between the maximum and the minimum amount or as is the case of pencils in the example used, the difference between five hundred and fifty gross and fifty gross, which is five hundred gross. Five hundred gross corresponding with one hundred percent, one per cent. will indicate one one-hundredth of five hundred or five gross. space 4 and will be known as the key number. This being so, it will be observed, that if the agent has two hundred gross of pencils on hand, the indicator 5 will be placed at the forty per cent. mark, two hundred being forty times five. If the supply is diminished the indicator will be moved to the left correspondingly, or if the supply is increased, the indicator-will be moved in the opposite direction to correspond. Thus it will be seen that the supply of each article may be indicated by the position of the indicator thereof upon the upper edge of the card, and so that the agent will be informed by the positions of the indicators as to the condition of the supply of each article in his charge- This system will also serve as a source of information for the foreman, or department head whereby he may ascertain in an instant the condition of the agents department. In short the system shows three conditions, i. 6. First. The condition of the supply of each article, the same as a perpetual inventory. Second. It shows the relative condition of eacharticle to all the rest, so that if the agent intends to keep too large or too small a stock of certain. articles, the

fact that certain indicators are very much out of line with the majority of the indicators, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, indicates this fact, and is constantly brought The number 5 will be entered in the to the attention of the agent, and third, the position of all the indicators show the purchasing agent or his superiors at any and all times whether or not the department is being conducted successfully.

As above mentioned the system may be employed in a number of instances, such as in a sales department, or a credit department with equal facility and with as great advantages accruing, the basic idea of minimum, maximum and key numbers cooperating with the percentage graduations at one edge of the card in governing the position of the indicator remaining the same in each instance. Therefore, while I have illustrated and described the preferred construction for carrying my invention into elfect,and the preferred employment or application'thereof, I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be various changes made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.v I, therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction set forth, but desire toavail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I 1. In a system of the class described, the combination of a plurality of similar record members each having one edge graduated to indicate percentages, an indicator member slidably mountedmpon said edge, and a key number on each of said cards for cooperation with the graduations on the card in governing the movement of said indicator member thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a system of the class described, the combination of a plurality of similar record cards each having one edge graduated to indicate percentages, an indicator member slidably mounted upon said edge and adapted to yieldingly hold itself in positions of adjustment upon said edge, and a key number on each-of said cards for cotiperation with the graduations on the card in governing the movement of said indicator membe thereon, substantially as described.

3. In a system of the class described, the' combination of a plurality of record members each having one edge graduated to indicate percentages from zero per cent. to one hundred per cent, an indicator member slidably mounted on said edge, and a key number on each of said cards for cooperation with the graduations on the card in governing the movement of said indicator member thereon, substantially as described.

4. in a system of the class described, the combination of a plurality of record members each having one edge graduated to indicate percentages from zero per cent. to one hundred cent, an indicator member slid- 130 ably mounted upon said edge, and a mininame to this specification in the presence of mum number space,ba maximum nlumbell' two subscribing witnesses. space and a key num er space on eac 1 cart for the reception of numerals for governing LLOYD STERLING ANTISDEL' the movement of the indicator member Witnesses: thereon, substantially as described. ARTHUR A. OLsoN,

In testimony whereof I have signed my JOSHUA R. H. Poms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

